I'm a former SE530 user (lost 'em) and have always been fascinated by custom IEM.
 
I've looked at UM Miracle after a recomendation and I can only read good things about them, however before I jump into spending that kind of money I'd like some advice. What other IEMs are in that price bracket (£650 ive been quoted in UK) and what can you say about them vs the UMs?
 
I'm looking for a balanced package ideally. I DJ so i listen to a lot of dance music, but I'm also into classical, rock and so on. If I had to choose, I'd lean towards slightly bass heavy but I'd still rather a neutral IEM.
 
I also lost my mp3 player and I was thinking about an iPod touch 3rd Gen 64gb but have heard good things about Cowon (although I owned one years ago and interface I found to be rubbish). Taking the mp3 player choice in mind and that I'd use them for everything (commuting, sports, DJing) and that I'd consider an amp if it didn't get too messy carrying it all around while cycling or on the tube etc what you guys think? Tips on mp3 choice & amp also very welcome!
 
I hope this isn't one of those question that everyone asks over and over... I should probably not be so lazy and research more, but hey, we're here to caht about the stuff right?
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Mattia

Around that price bracket I'd say the biggest competition to the Miracle is ironically the Merlin. From what I've been reading the Merlin is nowhere near a downgrade from the Miracle which the Mage sounds like, but offers a distinctively different sound signature. It's preferences, really. Some might favor the bass-heavy Merlin while others prefer the more balanced signature of the Miracle. The fact that it's 100 quid less does not say anything about perceived quality but is more a matter of taste.
 
The JH13 has been mentioned a lot around head-fi to be of the same excellence setup-wise, but saying that it'll set you back a grand makes the Miracle the real bargain here. Universal fit IEMs (except for some of the best, which are thought to aimed at a whole different market segment and cost even more than customs) probably come nowhere close enough. W4 and PFE 232 are brilliant contenders though.

Thankyou for your super awsome fast reply ^^.
 
Yeah Isaw that about the Merlin, and price is a big pluss too! For dance music I thought they would be great but then notso for other stuff...then again I'm just being an idiot - I probably listen to 55% dance music and 20% rock and the rest is everything else so big bass is probably not a bad thing. I like to think of myself as "a guy who knows a lot about music and listens to everything" when I really don't.
 
A grand is way too much £700 would be tops so the JH13s are out of the question (did read about them too). The frustrating thing about customs is that they are near impossible to trial so you have to go by other's people experiences.
 
Out of universals i thought about the Sony EX1000 but was told that they still woudn't be as good as some customs...

The highend custom IEMs are amazing in term of soundquality include higher resolution in all frequencies, soundstage, imaging, instruments sepration) and i will recommend the  Heir.8A(very detailed in all frequencies with good punchy bass), Westone ES5 (amazing detailed midrange, crisp clear highs and deep tight bass), JH11Pro (bassy yet detailed), UE 11Pro (tight, deep, punchy bass with great mids and highs). BTW you can buy any custom IEMs here ( F/S forum) around half price of orignal and reshell them.

Appreciate your help very much! I originally though about buying some W4s and reshelling them (reshell £200 plus shipping and impressions). I then did two sums and worked out I might as well go all out and get the full thing.
 
As far as buying from F/S forum you mean buying other people's used ones? Thats a great idea... I have to say if I could find any of the ones you have mentioned at a decent price I woudn't mind which one as from what I can tell in the forums they are all great. I guess I'd just go for the best deal over all.
 
I've also had a quick look at the HM-801 but the price is a bit steep... are any of the headphones better suited to a lower quality source like an iPod? I really dont like the idea of an amp to be honest.
 
The only issue left after that is that I can see myself getting it all done and leaving headphones & all on the train again... lol.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/619577/westone-es-5 and
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/607046/ultimate-ear-reference-monitor and
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/620468/westone-es5-gun-metal-gray-with-2-cables.
 
What you think? I'm guessing the ultimate ears are the best bargain but as you have worked out I'm no expert. The first pair of ES-5 are in Europe which saves me dam 20% on custom charges or begging and risking to put a low value on shipping.
 
Lol Zarim (and anyone else) on fatherly duties...

Quote:

zarim said:

The highend custom IEMs are amazing in term of soundquality include higher resolution in all frequencies, soundstage, imaging, instruments sepration) and i will recommend the  Heir.8A(very detailed in all frequencies with good punchy bass), Westone ES5 (amazing detailed midrange, crisp clear highs and deep tight bass), JH11Pro (bassy yet detailed), UE 11Pro (tight, deep, punchy bass with great mids and highs). BTW you can buy any custom IEMs here ( F/S forum) around half price of orignal and reshell them.

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You own and are familiar with all those customs? Geez man, that's some collection you have. You must have quite a high level profession to be able to acquire all those, I know I certainly can't.

Quote:

zarim said:

The highend custom IEMs are amazing in term of soundquality include higher resolution in all frequencies, soundstage, imaging, instruments sepration) and i will recommend the  Heir.8A(very detailed in all frequencies with good punchy bass), Westone ES5 (amazing detailed midrange, crisp clear highs and deep tight bass), JH11Pro (bassy yet detailed), UE 11Pro (tight, deep, punchy bass with great mids and highs). BTW you can buy any custom IEMs here ( F/S forum) around half price of orignal and reshell them.

Click to expand...

He's based in the UK, so pretty much he would not be able to audition those before buying.
 
@OP: I have emailed theheadphonecompany.co.uk, the official UK partner of UM and they said that they expected some demos of UM's customs range to arrive some point around August. If I were you, I'd be interested in contacting them for an audition, providing you reside around London or Essex.

Thanks for the extra info... I actually live in Scotland so thats no use. Ive jsut splurged out 700USD for some JH16s postage included, any thoughts? I've seen them go on here for 600 and 650 but hey, I cant wait around forever. I didn't go for the ES5s in the end because  I got the impression they were more mids focussed while the JH16 more on the bass and although I was after something balanced between the mids and lows I'd rather the lows (not that they would have been lacking of course).
 
Anyone know where I could have them reshelled in the UK? i know UM do reshelling for £165 for "most highend IEM" so I assume this includes JH16s, any other options you guys can think of?
 
Thanks again in advance.

Quote:

tia89 said:

Thanks for the extra info... I actually live in Scotland so thats no use. Ive jsut splurged out 700USD for some JH16s postage included, any thoughts? I've seen them go on here for 600 and 650 but hey, I cant wait around forever. I didn't go for the ES5s in the end because  I got the impression they were more mids focussed while the JH16 more on the bass and although I was after something balanced between the mids and lows I'd rather the lows (not that they would have been lacking of course).
 
Anyone know where I could have them reshelled in the UK? i know UM do reshelling for £165 for "most highend IEM" so I assume this includes JH16s, any other options you guys can think of?
 
Thanks again in advance.

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I guess that's not too bad, providing that you desperately need the JH16. CIEM should retain around half the initial asking price when being sold. However, after factoring in the customs duty, taxes and reshelling cost, I can hardly call that a catch. Well, at least that's probably much cheaper than getting it straight in the UK.
 
About the reshelling matter, I guess you have to get in touch with UM to see if they can sort that out. "Most high end IEM" IMO refers to high end universal IEM like the triplefi 10, W3, W4, IE8...and I would be really skeptical if that also included CIEM from other firms. Driver choice, crossover and bore designs, even shell material...can greatly affect the sonic outcome, and I'm not quite sure if UM is confident enough to say that their service can retain the intended sound signature.
 
Well, good luck with your purchase mate. Who knows maybe you'd be able to jam them in your canals the moment they arrive

I acutally just cancelled it all... the guy gave me the wrong paypal adress, I do think he genuinely made a mistake in typing but I got scared off - I sent 700USD to a random email adress but got my money back in the end. We were gona do it stating low postage value with regards to customs I woudnt have paid.
 
I'm now thinking just to go with merlins they're £575 plus ear impressions... I really dont know, I'm worse than a woman at the worst time of the month lol. I cant find any adds on here of headphones that are balanced or slightly more bassy, only es5s have come up, and as I've said Im no so keen.
 
As far as reshelling you don't know any companies here?

Quote:

tia89 said:

I'm now thinking just to go with merlins they're £575 plus ear impressions... I really dont know, I'm worse than a woman at the worst time of the month lol. I cant find any adds on here of headphones that are balanced or slightly more bassy, only es5s have come up, and as I've said Im no so keen.
 
As far as reshelling you don't know any companies here?

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Nope, sorry would not be able to help you on that. As far as I'm concerned, there should be a few out there which provide the service. Main problem is - they are not UK based.
 
I think in your case either the Merlin or the Miracle would be excellent choice, and yet they are not bizarrely priced in the UK like the JHA or Westone models, since the manufacturing process for UM products takes place in China. For example compare between the Miracle and the JH13 - $950 vs. $1100 in the States and 675 quid vs.1 grand in the UK - you can see that the Miracle's prices are much more in line with each other than those of the JH13. And in case you get a really bad fit, they offer a 60 day refit policy at no cost - much safer than getting a JH16 from someone else, reshelling them and then finding out that they are not cutting it - what would you do at that point?
 
Btw, the Heir 4A.i is getting increasingly popular around the forum - offering customs sound quality at an universal form. Have you looked at them? 

The ES5 offers great bass impact because single large BA driver and these are very highend CIEM with superb soundquality. You can buy from old forum members and it willbe safe to buy from them.

I can't comment on your customs search, as I'm currently happy with my little Superlux HD381F. But I see that you're also looking for a new source, so why don't you get a Sony Walkman? I have an older version of the E series, and it demolishes my Philips and Samsung P3 players.

Have you not heard of ACS? I've had these same debates in my head as to which custom to go for, for months - ACS are UK based though, and have a good reputation. You don't hear as much about them on here though, I think mainly due to the lack of UK posters! Being UK based may be a big time saver if you need any re-fits etc - although I have a feeling silicone is a little more forgiving with fit.
 
Check them out! http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=151&Itemid=288